Above all, Claremont Meeting is a community of seekers who are held together by our shared experience in the Light. We often refer to the ideal of Beloved Community: intimate, honest, personal relationships which begin close to home and radiate outwards in expanding circles of love and care.
A few of us grew up as Quakers. Many of us are Christians. One of us has explored the Sikh tradition and a few of us engage in eastern meditation practices regularly. Some of us interpret the Light from a non-theist perspective. We believe that we understand God/Spirit/Light most fully in community and welcome seekers of all faiths and backgrounds.
Our worship is deep; worship sharing is enriched by testimonies from people on different journeys.
“Meeting for Worship is like a cool drink of water.”
“A lot of times I worry that there are too few people doing a lot of things, but when I hear ministry like we had today, I know that we are strong.”
“Meeting for Worship is like a communal poem inspired by the Spirit.”
Like many other Quaker meetings, Claremont Friends has found ourselves called, both as individuals and as a community, to outward action. Some of our specific concerns are care for the homeless population in Claremont including our soon-to-be neighbors at Larkin Place, facilitating dialogue among our neighbors which builds trust and peace, urban farming and a holistic approach to food and land stewardship, and advocating for non-violent resolution of conflict in international affairs.
Claremont Meeting is an unprogrammed meeting. Believing that there is “that of God” in everyone, we have no paid clergy as everyone is considered to be a minister. All members and attenders are responsible, together, for taking care of the needs of the Meeting.
Learn more about activities that reflect our efforts to live into these testimonies with each other and the larger community by subscribing to our monthly newsletter.
History
The Claremont Meeting had its beginning in 1941 under the care of Orange Grove Meeting in Pasadena and used various locations around Claremont to hold worship. It officially became a Friends Meeting in 1953 and, as additional space was needed for the children, arrangements were made for use of a number of rooms at Scripps College. Because of the growth in attendance and the necessity for holding committee meetings in homes, the desire and need for a Meeting House was very much in the minds of members. The property at 727 Harrison Avenue in Claremont was purchased in 1961. The Meeting House was largely finished and in use by July of 1963 and officially dedicated that October.
Note: Many of the ideas and some of the words on this site are taken from Faith and Practice (2001) of Pacific Yearly Meeting.